I’ve become a better person for being here...

Nearly 10,000 miles away from her native country of Bhutan, Dorji Wangmo, a senior finance major, has made El Paso her temporary home. Wangmo hails from the capital city of Thimphu and came to the U.S. shortly after finishing high school to pursue a college degree.

She is the daughter of a Bhutanese diplomat and received her first taste of Americana in New York City. After pursuing a degree in economics at a private school in Wisconsin, Wangmo realized her true passion was business.

“After I realized I wanted to pursue a business degree, I looked up some business colleges online and UTEP stuck out because of the quality of its program and its strong relationship with Bhutan,” Wangmo said. “It is fairly well known over there, because it takes its architecture from the Bhutanese culture.”

Because Wangmo had spent her entire life living in the largest city of Bhutan, she felt at ease in a city that is about the population size of her entire country (700,000). Her transition to El Paso was as seamless as she could have hoped for. Aside from the major cultural differences, Wangmo said she has fit in quite nicely in the desert town. Bhutan and El Paso have provided her with warm climates and surprisingly similar foods. “People tend to think it’s so cold in Bhutan, but, with the humidity, it can sometimes get just as hot as it does in El Paso,” Wangmo said. “What was really nice to see was the food. Both places have a huge emphasis on spices and cheese in their meals.”

During her stay in El Paso, Wangmo has lived in close proximity with other Bhutanese students, most of whom are receiving graduate degrees at UTEP. She and other Bhutanese natives spend time together celebrating the king of Bhutan’s birthday, their New Year and other Buddhist holidays.

Even though Wangmo has felt very comfortable with her stay in El Paso, like many students living away from home, she has had her bouts with homesickness. El Paso’s mountainous regions and camping and hiking venues are no comparison to their Bhutanese counterparts, Wangmo said. Unfortunately, she has no set timetable for returning home.

“I last visited Bhutan three years ago,” Wangmo said. “Right now, I’m so focused on my education, I don’t have a real timeline of getting back. I just want to accomplish my immediate goals right now.” Wangmo will receive her degree in May 2009 and hopes to continue her education on the East Coast or pursue a career in the financial district of New York. She will eventually return to her homeland of Bhutan, but hopes to make the most of the time she has left in El Paso.

“I do miss home and I eventually am going to live in Bhutan. My family is there, my home is there,” Wangmo said. “But I have grown up a lot in El Paso, I’ve become a better person for being here. I will miss it when I do leave.”